Tata Steel's Orissa project will kick-start by Jan

The construction of the six-MTPA steel plant in Orissa by Tata Steel is likely to begin from January, a top company official said today.

"Hopefully, the construction work of the plant will begin next month and will be completed by mid-2013," Tata Sons director J J Irani said today on the sidelines of an event at the CII-Suresh Neotia Centre of Excellence here.

In May this year, Tata Steel even performed a low-key 'bhoomi puja' at the site in the Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex.

He said land was a big problem for industry and the agitation at Kalinga Nagar had led to a three-year delay in project implementation that led to substantial cost escalation.

Irani did not provide details on the cost escalation.

Speaking on the steel industry, Irani said the production target of 100 million tonnes by 2014-15 could be realised as demand for steel remained bouyant.